This blog provides delicious,traditional, vegetarian, South Indian Recipes from my mother Chitra Amma's kitchen. There are few 'world recipes' as well!
Thanks to Shravan, Pranav, Akash, Tara, Guggs, Shankari, Adu, Dhrithi, and Appa Ramachandran for the photos!

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Thursday, November 24, 2016

Fall in Portland is beautiful and bountiful!The awesome display of orange, yellow, red, purple and various shades of green of the Autumn foliage turns the entire Pacific North West into a fairy land.This is also the time to celebrate the bountiful harvest of pumpkins! Pumpkin patches throughout the the region organize Pumpkin Festivals with lots of entertainment for the whole family.
Lake View Farms near Beaverton is situated amidst a vast stretch of wet lands surrounded by emerald green fields.The famed Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course lies right across the pumpkin patch.The vast and slushy field is scattered with bright rain washed pumpkins shimmering in the morning sun.The spectacular view of the snow clad Mount Hood in the far away horizon is breath taking.
We jostle along the long line to get tickets for the mini train which shuttles to and from the pumpkin patch.Another mode of transportation is the sternwheeler boats which breeze through the adjoining lake.The mini train chugs through tunnels with pumpkin and Halloween decorations before it reaches us to the pumpkin patch.Amidst hundreds of pumpkins sitting on slush we see kids screeching excitedly as they play and monkey around the jungle gym, slide, and maze - all built with bales of hay. Pony ride and face painting are real crowd / kid pullers!
We extricate the choicest of pumpkins from the bed of slush caused by the previous night's heavy rain, and pile them up into a wheel barrow. We wheel it towards the edge of the lake stepping cautiously lest the wet earth dragged us down!We get into the boat which sails through the mechanized dragons and sharks which do the heads up only to submerge into the blue waters after we pass through.We sail by a haunted pirate ship, encounter a spooky boatman in a loan boat and finally land on slushy ground once again.After paying for the pumpkins we walk to our car with our hands loaded with pumpkins,giant popcorn packets and our grand kids!A dirty but happy lot,we reach home dreaming of a warm shower and a hot welcoming soup!After a thorough shower in the garden hose our sparkling pumpkins sit on our doorstep waiting to be carved or cooked for Halloween!
Jack'o'lanterns are ready to be lit!Damroot is ready to be savoured! We are ready to enjoy a back to back celebration of Halloween and Deepavali!

2. Stir and cook till the raw smell disappears.
3. Stir in the paneer and cook for two or three more minutes.

4. Add milk and cook the pumpkin-paneer mixture till it comes together into a translucent mass.
5. Add sugar and stir well.The quantity of sugar should be equivalent to that of the cooked pumpkin-paneer mixture.

6. Keep stirring till the sugar melts and add ghee little by little when the Damroot starts to thicken.

7. When Damroot acquires a rich colour and a pleasant aroma mix in the cardamom powder and switch off flame.

8.Immediately transfer the Damroot into a bowl so that it stays soft.
9. Garnish with ghee fried almond slivers.

Enjoy the rich and warm Damroot as it is or with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream.

Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Dark clouds loom over the rain drenched Tualatin Mountains, also known as the Portland West Hills, as we speed down the curves and sharp bends snaking through the dense evergreen vegetation. We exit the folds of the mountains and drive on the highway which runs along the Multnomah channel. We cut across the channel over the Sauvie Island bridge and take another left turn after the bridge. And wow! We are awestruck at the verdant farm land that lies before us, which seems to stretch endlessly beyond the horizon revealing itself in all its glory!Yes! We are at the Sauvie Island which was originally known as the Wappatoo Island ! We drink in the beauty of the breath taking scenery of the vast green fields studded with the just harvested bright yellow pumpkins against the back drop of the magnificent mountains crowned with rain laden clouds.

The wetland preserve which attracts hoards of migrating birds and other wild life, is home to private farms, nurseries and gardens.The fertile land produces strawberries, raspberries, black berries, blue berries, peaches, pears and many more fruits in abundance. Corn is grown along with other vegetable crops.

Our visit to a private farm - Bella Organics - coincided with the ongoing pumpkin festival which promised a lot of fun activities especially for children. Hay rides were taking people out to the pumpkin patch and dropping them back.Walking in the fields and picking up the pumpkins of our choice was a thrilling experience. It was so baffling to choose and pick from the thousands of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes scattered all over the field. Colours of the pumpkins ranged from white, white with green stripes, pale green, dark green, yellow and orange, to the variegated patterns of a variety known as the Carnival pumpkins.

A joy ride in the Cow Train was a hit among the excited children. A Grain Train was also in operation. Kids could pet and feed the farm animals in the Petting Zoo. Face painting and racing the toy ducks in water channels using hand pumps were other attractions children enjoyed. Corn Maze was a major attraction for visitors who loved adventure. A walk on the 2 1/2 mile pathway designed like a maze amidst the corn fields and finding the way back was indeed a difficult task. Horror buffs had a field day at The Haunted corn maze!

After an exciting walk around the pumpkin patch and after having picked up the heavy pumpkins of our choice, we replenished our energy with a combo plate consisting of falafel, parsley salad, hummus and pita bread. Curly fries were most welcome for the chill weather. We enjoyed elephant ears and caramel apple for dessert.

After spending a joyful time at the pumpkin patch in spite of the cold weather and intermittent showers - but that is Portland! - we happily lugged our cart load of pumpkins towards the exit point for billing. Each pumpkin was made to sit on the pricing table where the circumference of the pumpkin was measured and then billed.It was surprising to note that the price of the pumpkin was determined by its circumference, and not by its weight!

Pumpkins with Corn Fields in the background

Hay ride

'U pick' pumpkin patch

Cow train

A Pumpkin Square at the market place

Carnival Pumpkins

Pricing table

Back home the biggest pumpkin is waiting to become the Jack - 'o' - lantern for Halloween at my daughter-in-law's expert hands.The smallest one was subjected to an artistic colour and glitter splash by my three year old grand daughter. I used a medium sized pumpkin to make a Festive Sambar for the family.

Here is the recipe for a hot and spicy Festive Pumpkin Sambar, perfect for a cold day. Let us start with the making of a flavoursome Sambar Masala Powder.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAMBAR MASALA POWDER

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Bengalgram Dal - 1 tsp

Black gram dal - 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Red chillies - 8

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch stick

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Sesam oil - 1/2 tsp

TO MAKE SAMBAR MASALA POWDER

1.Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon.

2.When it emanates a pleasant aroma add coriander seeds, Bengal gram dal, Black gram dal, fenugreek seeds and the red chillies together and roast on medium flame till you get a pleasant aroma.

3.Stir in asafoetida powder, switch off flame and allow to cool.

4.Powder all the roasted ingredients together using a mixer.

Now the Sambar Masala Powder is ready to use.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE SAMBAR

Pumpkin - 1 (medium size)

Tamarind - a small lime size ball or 1 1/2 tsps if it is a concentrate

Split yellow pigeon peas( Tur Dal) - 1 cup

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Salt - 2 tsps

INGREDIENTS FOR SEASONING

Sesame oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Onion - 1 ( finely chopped)

Curry leaves - a few

METHOD

1.Peel and cut the pumpkin into half.

2.Scoop out the seeds and cut the halved pumpkin into cubes. Make the cubes big because small pieces tend to disintegrate or melt away while cooking.

3.Pressure cook dal in 2 cups of water with turmeric powder, up to three whistles and allow to cool.

4.Soak tamarind and extract the juice into a large vessel.

5.Add salt and the big cubes of pumpkin. Add more water to cover the pumpkin pieces, so that there is enough room for the big pumpkin cubes to cook without clashing.

6.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds.

7.When the seeds splutter add the peanuts and roast till they crack.

8.Add chopped onion and curry leaves and fry till the onions become pinkish in colour.

9.Pour the seasoning into the vessel containing tamarind water and the pumpkin cubes, and set it on medium flame.

10.Cook till the pumpkin is just done and do not allow it to become mushy.

11.Remove the cooked dal from the cooker, mash well and add it to the sambar.

12.Mix Sambar Masala powder in 1/4 cup of water and add it to the sambar and stir gently taking care not to mash up the pumpkin.

13.Cook for two or three minutes till the Sambar Masala blends well and till the sambar gives out a very pleasant aroma.

14.Switch off flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

15.Keep the sambar covered so that the flavour does not escape.

Relish the Festive Pumpkin Sambar with steaming hot rice and a dollop of ghee.This post is featured in :http://www.stonefryingpans.com/winter-recipe-ideas/

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Just the other day when I was preparing sweet Poli / Holige for a friend I remembered another delicious Poli/Holige which I thought my son's family would love to relish. The very next day we had Urulaikizhangu Masala Poli / Masala Palyada Holige for dinner. My joy knew no bounds when my three year old grand daughter sweetly thanked me for making a nice dinner for her.

Since I did not wish to spoil the natural sweetness of the tender vegetables I avoided using green chillies and ginger. A dash of sambar powder and salt were enough to enhance the taste of the masala filling. Here is how I made a non spicy, child friendly Urulaikizhangu Masala Poli/Masala Palyada Holige for my family.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups

Salt - 1 pinch

Sesame oil - 3tbsps

TO MAKE THE DOUGH

1. Mix flour and salt together.

2. Add water little by little and knead till the dough becomes loose and pliable like play dough.

3. Add 2 tbsps of oil and knead again.

4. Add the remaining oil, cover with a lid and allow to stand for at least an hour.

Friday, September 9, 2016

I was pondering on whether to cook rice or rotis to eat with the Kalli Curry I had just prepared. Taming the 'monster with thorns' and cooking it was real fun! With my son's guidance the Cactus Curry had turned out good! At his suggestion I prepared Mexican Red Rice and we got to enjoy an authentic Mexican meal for dinner! Preparing Mexican Red Rice was very easy as it is just another variation of Tomato Rice.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

We arrived at Portland right on time for the 19th annual Elephant Garlic Festival!

As the name indicates Elephant garlic is enormous in size. Unlike normal garlic, it has a mild and sweet flavour but possesses the same antibacterial properties as the normal garlic does. Each clove is fleshy and is as big as a medium size onion. It can be chopped and used like any other vegetable in soups, kozhambus, rasam, gravies and salads.

Though we had already enjoyed the festival during our last trip, visiting the Garlic mela once again was really an exciting experience.

After having a gala 'all garlic snack time' at the Elephant Garlic Festival my taste buds started to crave for something spicy, tangy and salty! We had picked up four huge Elephant Garlic bulbs at the festival and there was a huge eggplant tucked away in the refrigerator at home. That was enough to trigger off my enthusiasm to prepare Baingan and Elephant Garlic Bharta for dinner! I was not brave enough to use more than three cloves of Elephant Garlic in this attempt! After tasting the Bharta I realized that more cloves would not have harmed in any way!

Grilling is the first and best option to cook eggplant for bharta. But I chose to microwave it this time.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

I get
utterly confounded when someone poses the question such as this, which is most
difficult to answer. I am a vegetarian and I love food. All dishes under the
sun are my favourite dishes provided they are vegetarian. I love the
authentic Ethiopian Injera as much as I
love our traditional Ragi dose. I relish Burritos and Rajma masala with Roti with
equal zest. Falafel or Masal Vadas, Pineapple Gazpacho or Pineapple Morkuzhambu – all of them make my mouth water! My sweet side
and salt craving side are equally
balanced, hence I love sweets and savouries alike. Similarly I have a ‘hot side
and cold side’ too! As a young girl I was almost in tears when I had to decide
between hot coffee and rose milk after a
sumptuous treat at a restaurant. Touched by my predicament my doting father
bought me both the drinks at a short interval so that I could relish them both to my heart’s content! Years have passed by.
Nature has decked me up with a silver crown to vouch for my senior citizen status.
But my favourite dishes are yet to be
sorted out! I am still at a loss when I see an elaborate spread laid out in front of me!

I have been
raised in a large household where the
kitchen throbbed with activity from dawn to dusk. The numerous pleasant
aromas that wafted through the kitchen started off with that of filter coffee
and drifted towards the many flavours of roasting, grinding and simmering of food,
that were capable of activating the
digestive juices of even a yogi. The spluttering of the seasoning, the hissing
of the frying pan, the rolling of the grinding stone which crushed the masalas
on a stone slab, the rhythmic ‘dhak dhak’
of the huge pestle pounding the spice powders in the heavy stone mortar were music to my ears! If at all A. R. Rahman had time traveled and
listened to the music, he would have certainly been inspired to compose the world’s greatest ‘Kitchen Symphony’ ever! The distinct aromas arising out of the mixing
and matching of the Indian
spices used in the preparation of
various lip smacking dishes gave away the day’s menu to everyone even without them entering the kitchen. Our everyday food
was simple but delicious and nutritious.

Special
food was prepared when we had a celebration or when we had guests at home. On
those occasions the entire house would be filled with the heady aroma of specific spices being roasted for an authentic
Mysore dish which has no parallel in the entire world even to this day! Bisibelebath or BBB as it is dearly referred
to by the people of Mysore was and still
is the star and the highlight of all parties. As the story goes Bisibelebath literally meaning hot lentil rice was born in the royal kitchens of the Mysore
Palace during Maharaja Sri Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar’s time. The innovative dish prepared by the Palace
chef was a mixture of cooked lentils (Bele) and rice (Bath), blended with powdered spices and liberally drenched with ghee. As time rolled by multiple vegetables were added to the simple
basic recipe and the royal dish evolved into a wholesome and nutritious Bisibelebath.

Though the
basic recipe remains the same each household has a specific method for preparing Bisibelebath. I
love my mother’s recipe the most where equal measures of dal and rice were
cooked together and then blended with vegetables cooked in tamarind juice. Finally the ground spice and a
lot of ghee were added. As the cooking continued the inviting flavour of the spice powder and melting ghee filled
the entire atmosphere attracting the admiration of one and all. Showered with
ghee fried cashew nuts it became a gastronomic delight.

I remember
the funny occasion when I prepared an instant Bisibelebath in the middle of
the night! My husband was away on
business to the next town and he was expected only late in the night. On such occasions he usually
finished his dinner in one of the
way side restaurants well before he reached home. On that particular day due to
some reason he came home hungry and tired that too accompanied by his business friend. There was no way he could give me
prior notice as he was zooming through a high way. And those were the no mobile
phone days! I was dazed for a moment as I had closed the kitchen for the day
and had put away the leftovers in the refrigerator. How could I immediately serve a decent
meal for two hungry men at that hour of the day? Suddenly
it occurred to me that I had stored some
Bisibelebath powder in my kitchen shelf. With a new found courage I pulled up my socks and set to work. I took
out all the leftovers from the refrigerator -
sambar, rasam, curry, and nearly
one cup of rice and emptied them together into a big vessel. The addition of water, salt, a handful of beaten rice and a chopped tomato increased the volume of the food. The men were still
washing up while I cooked the leftovers together. The flavor of
the Bisibelebath powder and the big dollop of ghee which I added in the
end drew the men to the dining table.
The liberal addition of the powder had lent a porridge like consistency to my watery Bisibelebath. It was heartening to see them gobble up the instant BBB served with cucumber slices and a bowl of curd with utmost relish! Thenceforth I learnt about how the business friend went on raving about my BBB among our friends' circle for many more days!

Such is the power - or should I say the charm - of Bisibelebath, be it an authentic preparation or it was just an instant mishmash!

As I write
this I realize that a very special soft corner in the deepest recess of my
heart is reserved for the most flavoursome and deliciously spicy Bisibelebath.
Why else does Bisibelebath top the list of my Sunday menu?

With the
increase in lifestyle diseases and other medical factors nowadays people want
to cut down on their rice intake. Most of them are switching over to millets for
their high nutritive value and numerous health benefits. Bisibelebath buffs need not
lose heart due to this new trend in diet. A delicious and nutritious
Bisibelebath can still be prepared using millets as a substitute to rice. Foxtail millet (
NAVANE) is a good choice for preparing a delicious Bisibele due to its nice texture and nutty flavor.

Bisibelebath
has donned a new avatar to suit the need of the hour. Here is Bisibele Navanebath for the benefit of all the
health conscious BBB lovers.

Now over to the recipe.

BISIBELE NAVANEBATHINGREDIENTSFoxtail millet / Navane - 1 cupSplit Pigeon Pea/ Tuvar Dal - 1 cupTurmeric powder - 1/4 tspGhee - 2 to 4 tbspsTamarind - A plum size ballSalt - 1 3/4 tspsSPICESBengal gram dal/ Chana dal - 1 tbspCoriander seeds - 1 tbspBlack gram dal/ Urad dal - 1 tspRed chillies ( Preferably Byadagi variety) - 8Black pepper - 5Fenugreek seeds / Methi seeds - 1/4 tspCardamom - 1Cinnamon stick - 1 inchCloves - 4Asafoetida - 1/4 tspDry coconut ( Copra) gratings - 1tbspVEGETABLES - FINELY CHOPPEDKholrabi/Knol Khol - 1Carrot - 1String beans - a fistfulPotatoes - 1Capsicum - 1Tomato -1Onion - 1FOR SEASONINGSesame oil - 1 tbspMustard seeds - 1/4 tspCurry leaves - a fewFOR GARNISHINGCashew nuts - 10METHOD1. Wash the Foxtail millet / Navane three times thoroughly, add three cups of clean water and let it soak for an hour.2. Roast the split pigeon peas / Tuvar dal in 1/2 tsp of ghee till it emanates a pleasant aroma.3. Add 3 cups of water and turmeric powder to the roasted dal and set it in a pressure cooker.4. In another separator of the cooker and chopped Kholrabi/ Knol Khol and place it on top of the dal vessel.5. Fill a very small cup with water, drop the tamarind into it and place it in a corner of the separator containing the vegetable.6. Pressure cook until three whistles so that the dal becomes soft and mushy.Switch off flame and allow it to cool.TO PREPARE THE SPICE POWDER1. Heat 1/4 tsp of sesame oil in a kadai and roast cinnamon, cloves and cardamom in it.2. When it emanates a pleasant aroma add all the other ingredients listed under SPICES except the dry coconut/copra gratings and asafoetida powder.3. Keep roasting on low flame till they become golden in colour emanating a very pleasant aroma.4. Finally add the asafoetida powder and roast for another few seconds and switch off flame.5. Dry grind the roasted ingredients into a fine powder. Now add the dry coconut /copra gratings and run the mixer for another minute.The spice powder is ready.TO COOK FOXTAIL MILLET/ NAVANE1. Add 1/4 tsp of sesame oil to the soaking Foxtail Millet/Navane and cook on low flame stirring now and then.2. Cook till the millet becomes soft, till it gets mashed when pressed between the thumb and the forefinger.TO PREPARE THE BISIBELE NAVANEBATH1. Heat the remaining sesame oil in a huge kadai or wok, and add the mustard seeds.2. When the mustard seeds splutter add the chopped onion and curry leaves.3. Cook till the onion becomes transparent and then add the chopped carrots and beans.4. Cover and cook the vegetables till they are half done add then add chopped potatoes. 5. When all the vegetables are almost done add the chopped capsicum and stir fry till done.6. Open the cooker, take out the tamarind, extract the juice and pour into the vegetables.7. Add the cooked Kholrabi / Knol Khol, chopped tomatoes and salt and cook till the tomatoes become soft.8. Add the mushy dal and the cooked Foxtail Millet/Navane and stir well.9. Mix the powdered spice with little water to make a paste and blend it into the vegetable dal millet mixture. Adjust consistency by adding one more glass of water. The Bisibele needs to be of pouring consistency immediately after cooking. Gradually the powder will absorb the water and a soft Bisibele Navanebath with porridge like consistency will be ready to relish.10. Cook for a few more minutes till all the ingredients blend well.11. Add half of the ghee and switch off flame.12. Heat the remaining ghee and fry the cashew nuts till they become golden in colour and pour over the flavoursome and deliciously spicy BISIBELE NAVANEBATH.

Enjoy the hot hot BISIBELE NAVANEBATH for breakfast, lunch or / and dinner with or without side dishes!

“This story was originally written for “Cook Me A Tale” contest on Tell-A-Tale.”

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Hello

Welcome to Chitra Amma's Kitchen.

I am Dibs. I am a born Foodie. I love to cook; love to eat; love to feed folks who appreciate good food. Blogging provides me a great way of documenting my mother, Chitra’s recipes, as a ready reference irrespective which time zone I live in. Amma honestly makes the best food I've ever had, and somehow, the anecdotes she tells us, make the dishes taste all the better.Most posts here are written by my mother Chitra. It’s her recipes, along with related reminiscences of people, places and anecdotes. She writes, I post!What started for a lark, has now become a serious hobby, drawing in participation from the whole family. My father, S.R. Ramachandran has started clicking away every dish made at home! Aunts, cousins, siblings, contribute to photos, and ask for recipes.We try to illustrate implements such as utensils, grinding stones and so on from the ‘pre-electric-mixer’ days wherever possible. We hope this will make an interesting read for future generations, on how food was cooked in earlier times!The site is still in its infancy, and slowly evolving, as our skills improve! We invite your comments, ideas, and questions, and will attempt answering them.

Thank you for your visit, and we hope you enjoy your stay at Chitra Amma’s Kitchen.